Hello everyone; posted a while back about some engine rattling (turned out to be exhaust bracket) and got some useful advice. Thought i'd come back for some more thoughts on a maintenance question i have .

I have been diagnosed with a worn oil pump. I thought i would have a go at swapping this out myself; got the new pump in hand and have so far removed sump, oil pickup, auxilliary drive belt, crankshaft pulley and cambelt covers.

The question i have relates to how it is possible to maintain engine timing while removing the crankshaft sprocket which is also used to fix the crankshaft timing via a locking pin (drill bit). My Haynes manual makes an incredibly brief reference to locking the flyheel in the correct position for engine timing, which sounds sensible. However, the manual only discusses elswhere, the method of locking - locking the flywheel with a flywheel pin through the bell housing, while also saying that this cannot be used for engine timing purposes. This seemed a little ambiguous to me.

The question i have is - how can i maintain engine timing if i cannot lock the flywheel with this 'non-timing' pin?

Do i need to go so far as removing the starter motor and using a special tool to lock flywheel in correct timing or....(and this maybe a little risky).. can i do something a little simpler and mark the timing belt, fuel pump, crankshaft and camshaft sprockets with typex (is there a risk that residual engine pressure or camshaft forces will move engine parts dangerously if they are not secured?

...and i thought i could just pop the bonnet, undo a couple of bolts and be done by lunch...

to be honest, the only reliable way to lock the timing is with the appropriate tools and locking pins. Now, my moderator colleague Stef of late, recently did a bit of an engine rebuild on a car, where he didnt have the appropriate locking pin. As part of this, he had a pin and just used his tools to reduce the diameter, and managed to guess correctly the right size and managed to use this for the job, so its not impossible to do without the branded tools, its just a case of how confident you are.

to be honest, the only reliable way to lock the timing is with the appropriate tools and locking pins. Now, my moderator colleague Stef of late, recently did a bit of an engine rebuild on a car, where he didnt have the appropriate locking pin. As part of this, he had a pin and just used his tools to reduce the diameter, and managed to guess correctly the right size and managed to use this for the job, so its not impossible to do without the branded tools, its just a case of how confident you are.

Hmm, ok, thanks for the advice James. Sounds like it might be wise to avoid shortcuts until i am more familiar with the engine, so i'll prob buy a flywheel locking tool and use some suitably sized drill bits as locking pins where applicable. Will let you know how it turns out